Edible Parts: Flowers  Fruit  Leaves  Oil
Edible Uses: Condiment  Drink  Oil

If you only have room for one fruit tree, the Tahitian Lime would be our top choice. The seedless, juicy, thin-skinned fruit has a great flavour and an endless range of uses in the kitchen. The flesh is a translucent pale green, tender and juicy with an authentic acid lime flavour. The fruit is about 6 cm (2.4 in) in diameter, often with slightly nippled ends, and is usually sold while green, although it yellows as it reaches full ripeness. The fruits are used for making drinks [317 ]. The pulp is succulent, firm, very acidic and sugarless [317 ]. The juice is a substitute for vinegar [317 ]. It is also widely available dried, as it is often used this way in Persian cuisine. It is larger, thicker-skinned, with less intense citrus aromatics than Key Lime (Citrus aurantifolia). The advantages of the Tahitian Lime in commercial agriculture compared to the Key Lime are the larger size, absence of seeds, hardiness, lack of thorns on the bushes, and longer fruit shelf life. They are less acidic than key limes and do not have the bitterness of their unique flavour.

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Antidote  Antiinflammatory  Aromatherapy  Skin  Vitamin C

The juice of the fruit is utilized medicinally [317 ]. Lime juice, given quickly, is an effective antidote for the painful oral irritation and inflammation that result from biting into aroids such as Dieffenbachia spp., Xanthosoma spp., Philodendron spp., and their allies [336 ]. Lime juice is also applied to relieve the effects of stinging corals [336 ]. Citrus species contain a wide range of active ingredients, and research is still underway in finding uses for them. They are rich in vitamin C, flavonoids, acids and volatile oils. They also contain coumarins such as bergapten which sensitizes the skin to sunlight. Bergapten is sometimes added to tanning preparations since it promotes pigmentation in the skin, though it can cause dermatitis or allergic responses in some people [238 ]. Some of the plants more recent applications are as sources of anti-oxidants and chemical exfoliants in specialized cosmetics [238 ].

Cleanser  Cosmetic  Essential  Hair  Oil

Essential oil is extracted from the peel of the fruit [317 ]. Lime juice is employed as a rinse after shampooing the hair. Light streaks have been bleached in the hair by applying lime juice and then going out into the sun for a time [336 ]. Lime juice has been applied to the face as a freshening lotion [336 ]. The acid juice can be used for cleaning items such as the inside of coffee and teapots [336 ]. Dilute lime juice will dissolve, overnight, calcium deposits in kettles [336 ]. Attracts wildlife. Espalier: tree or other plant that is trained to grow flat against a support (such as a trellis or wall).

Special Uses

Attracts Wildlife  Espalier  Food Forest  Scented Plants